The event at the Thai Ambassador’s  Residence was opened by Mrs. Farideh Sheikh Attar, Spouse of Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Sheikh Attar and Head of the Diplomatic Ladies Committee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran.  

The Festival was a great success against all odds, including a shoe-string budget, the lack of a Thai airline flying between Thailand and Iran and the absence of a Thai tourism office in Iran.

Every one of the over 400 visitors paid 210 Baht for a ticket to get in and sample one of the two noodle soups at each Embassy’s booth. The 32-paged ASEAN Noodles Recipe Book in colour was sold at approximately 100 Baht per copy. Members of the diplomatic corps from every continent were also present, with some ambassadors bringing along with them their spouses, children and grandchildren. 

Tourism brochures and leaflets were distributed while DVDs on tourist attractions in ASEAN countries were played. There were 20 prizes for lucky draws with winners coming from Mexico, Morocco, Iran, Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand.

The Royal Thai Embassy’s booth presented Pad Thai and beef noodle soups. There was a fruit and vegetable carving demonstration. In addition, the Thai booth was unique in giving visitors free and unlimited sampling of 15 traditional Thai foods and desserts, such as Tom Yam Kung, sticky rice with roasted chicken and papaya salad, Khanom Jeen with green curried beef, and Khanom Krok. Traditional Thai gifts and handicrafts were sold out.

Mahan Air, Tarazsafar Tour & Travel Agency, and Nestle Waters provided some sponsorship for the Festival. 

Most visitors stayed on right to the end of the Festival, enjoying a memorable evening picnic at the Residence’s garden and poolside.

One Iranian food connoisseur commented to the Thai Ambassador: “Khanom Krok is a bit too sweet and has too much coconut milk, but I would recommend the rest of the Thai delicacies as the best cuisine to be found anywhere in Iran.”

Currently, there is only one Thai restaurant all over Iran, and opportunities abound for newcomers. Around 70,000 tourists visited Thailand last year, and the number is increasing some 34+ per cent this year, especially with two Iranian airlines serving direct flights between Bangkok and Tehran.